


War Room

by wyntirrose



Series: Speedwriting Ficlets [7]
Category: Transformers Generation One
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-05-15
Updated: 2013-05-15
Packaged: 2017-12-11 22:16:59
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 566
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/803850
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/wyntirrose/pseuds/wyntirrose
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The tacticians debate the best course of action when dealing with a siege.</p>
            </blockquote>





	War Room

**Author's Note:**

> Written for the prompt "Gamble" for tf_speedwriting over on livejournal.

"It's a gamble, Prowl," Smokescreen said solemnly. "There's only a thirty-seven percent chance that this'll work."

"Thirty-seven point nine six two," Prowl replied, never looking up from the console. "Plus or minus three percent. I know the odds, Smokescreen. Just as I know that there is a greater than ninety-eight point three five percent chance that we will lose spectacularly if we do nothing."

Smokescreen pursed his lips and leaned back against a console, catching the look of concern that Trailbreaker was shooting them both. "It'll be a Pyrrhic victory, Boss. If the Wreckers manage to turn the tide they'll likely lose three quarters of their numbers and we won't actually gain anything that we'd want to hold."

"We'd be better served by digging in and waiting the Cons out. We have enough supplies here to last us a good long while, but our intel is showing that they've stretched their supply lines to the breaking point," Trailbreaker said thoughtfully.

He turned to face the map in the centre of the room and lit up three key locations on the citadel. "If we were to put the large guns here, here, and here we could cover all the potential approach vectors."

"We cannot hold up for the duration of this war," Prowl replied tightly. "I am open to suggestions, but we need them to be _pro_ active and not _re_ active."

"And you need to think outside the box, Prowl," Smokescreen said a tad more sharply than he had intended to. "Look, I know you've taken all the variables into account here, or at least you think you have, but we can't come at this like a blunt instrument."

"And what do you suggest?" Prowl's tone wasn't completely dismissive, but it was annoyed. It meant that he hadn't made up his mind fully yet and he was still willing to entertain the idea of possibly accepting a different viewpoint.

"I'm suggesting that we come at this from the side. Literally." Smokescreen brought up some new numbers and changed the map. "See if we were to combine our methods, distract them on the East and North, we can come in on them from the West and South, trap them between our walls and the Wreckers. The casualties should only be a fifteen percent loss. Give or take."

"Hunkering down would cut our losses even more," Trailbreaker said, shaking his head and digging in.

"That would be a short term solution at best," Prowl replied. "The city defenses will not be able to hold out against diggers or one of Shockwave's experimental troopers."

Neither Trailbreaker nor Smokescreen were able to stave off the shudder at the thought of taking on one of the theorized six-changers.

Prowl was silent for a long time, studying the board and running the numbers.

"All right," he finally said. "Smokescreen your plan has merit as does your Trailbreaker. We dig in and get the civilians to the centre of the city proper. they should be safe enough there. We then set up a wounded-flyer defense, and draw the Decepticons into the wall-mounted guns and thus give the Wreckers a chance to come in from behind. Any other suggestions before I bring this to Prime?"

The other two tacticians shook their heads in unison.

"Right then. Let the defense of Praxus begin," Prowl said quietly as he left the room with their combined plans.


End file.
